Hannah's Christmas Tree Surprise

Hannah was the best builder in the whole house. Not with big, heavy bricks, but with colourful blocks and cushions from the couch. She could build rainbow castles for her teddy bears and twisty-turny tunnels for her toy cars. Her room was her kingdom, and her imagination was her magical tool. The whole house was starting to smell like pine needles and sweet biscuits, a special smell that only came once a year.

One afternoon, Mum and Dad carried in a giant box, so big it could have been a hiding spot for a friendly monster! "It's here!" squealed Hannah. It was the Christmas tree box. Peeking inside, she saw a jumble of green branches and a metal stand. It looked less like a tree and more like a very tricky puzzle. The challenge was on! It was time to build the most important thing of the whole year.

Dad started reading the boring paper instructions, but Hannah had a better idea. Using her builder's eye, she grabbed a branch and told Dad, "Let’s try a branch here, a branch there, a pokey bit everywhere!" They pushed branches in all over the place. But when they stood back, the tree looked… wobbly. It had a big bushy bit on one side and a skinny, bare bit on the other. It looked more like a lopsided green monster than a beautiful Christmas tree. Hannah’s shoulders drooped a little.

"Hmm," said Mum, with a smile. "Hannah, when you build your amazing towers, where do you put the biggest blocks?" Hannah's eyes lit up. "At the bottom, to make it strong!" she chirped. She knew just what to do! "Dad! We need the biggest branches down below, and the little ones up high!" Together, they sorted the branches and built the tree layer by layer, just like one of Hannah's grandest creations.

Soon, the tree stood tall and proud and perfectly pointy at the top. It was the most wonderful tree Hannah had ever seen, because she had helped build it. The living room now felt truly magical. As they hung sparkling baubles and twinkling lights, Hannah knew that building things with her family was the best kind of magic. And as Dad lifted her up to place the shiny star on the very top, she couldn't stop smiling, ready for the best Christmas ever.